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Thursday, September 29, 2016

Goodbye to a Legend and Hello to Hazeltine

It’s been a sad week in the
golf world, as we learned on Sun., Sept. 25 of the passing of golf legend and
humanitarian Arnold “The King” Palmer. Social and traditional media outlets
have been sharing tributes continuously, and both 2016 Ryder Cup teams are playing
in Palmer’s memory this week. And one of this week’s touching tributes was from
a recent Ryder Cup article, where Team Europe’s Captain Darren Clarke noted:

"Our sport wouldn't be where it is without
Mr. Palmer," Clarke said after he flew from London to Minnesota on Monday
with the Europeans' 209-person traveling party. "He was obviously a very
proud American, very patriotic toward the Ryder Cup. But more than that, he was
a global superstar and he inspired people all over the world to take up our
great sport. He was one of the first guys to come over and start playing in the
[British] Open Championship and he persuaded all the other top guys in the world
to play it. Mr. Palmer did an awful lot for the golf, our golf as we know it
these days."

Regardless
of which team you’re pulling for this week at Hazeltine, we’re all mourning the
loss of a legend while, at the same time, looking forward to seeing some great
golf in his memory this week as the long-awaited 2016 Ryder Cup tees off. To
begin, on Thurs., Sept. 29, there will be a moment of silence for “The
King” during the opening ceremonies. Both Ryder Cup teams will wear pins in
remembrance of Arnold, and fans in attendance will receive keepsake buttons,
featuring an “Arnie’s Army” logo created by the PGA Tour and the Palmer family.
We’re looking forward to seeing Team RSM representing both teams – it’s a
win-win! For the U.S., Team RSM Member Davis Love III(who is also host of The RSM Classic), is serving as
captain. He will be joined by fellow Team RSM Member Zach Johnson. For Team Europe, RSM
UK ambassadors Paul Lawrieand Andy Sullivanwill both play key roles. While Andy will make his Ryder
Cup debut as a player, Lawrie, who has previously represented
Europe twice at The Ryder Cup, takes the role of vice-captain. We’ll certainly
be tuning in to watch the coverage. Friday
morning foursomes will tee off at 7:35am, 7:50am, 8:05am, and 8:20am CST.What are
your predictions?

Shifting gears a bit, The RSM Classic
recently shared some exciting news: The
Yamaha Golf-Car Company will sponsor the 2016 Pro-Am at this year’s
tournament on Wed., Nov. 16. The Pro-Am will be played on both the Plantation
and Seaside courses at Sea Island Golf Club at Georgia’s Golden Isles. (These
are the same the professional golfers will play competitive rounds on during
The RSM Classic.) The RSM Classic is also excited to partner with the St.
Simons Island Food & Spirits Festival to bring a new upscale and fun
culinary event to the Golden Isles during tournament week. “A Taste of the Golden Isles” will take place Fri., Nov. 18, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at
the St. Simons Island Pier Village. Come and enjoy LIVE music and small plate
tasting stations from the Golden Isles’ top chefs and restaurants while
mingling with PGA TOUR Professionals and other celebrity guests. An
assortment of exceptional wines, spirits and beers will be featured, as well.
Make your plans today!

Before closing we wanted to share something fun about Team RSM Member Zach Johnson. Earlier this week a bronze statue of Zach was installed at the Iowa Hall of Pride in Des Moines. How cool is that? Check back next week for the
latest updates about the 2016 RSM Classic (Nov. 14-20) and Team RSM.